Can opener



July 10', 1923; mmmz L. D. ROBERTS CAN OPENER Filed March 19, 1923 Patented July 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,451,122 PATENT sisal.

LEWIS I). ROBERTS, OF WASHINGTON. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed March 19, 1923. Serial No. 626,201.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that-I, LEWIS D. RoBERTs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, Districtof Columbia, have in vented anew and useful Can Opener, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can openers, one

ofits objects being to provide a device of this character adapted to be stamped out of sheet metal andthe parts of which can beheld together securely so as not to work loose when in use.

Anothenobject is to provide a bearing or fulcrum wing at one end of the handle portion of the device, said wing being provided with an integral cap remover stamped from the metal of the handle portion.

Another object is to provide a sheet metal structure that is cheap to manufacture and requires the minimum number of operations for -assembling.

VVith the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds the invention consists of. certain novel details-of construction and combina-. tions of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fr0n1the spirit'of the invention as claimed.

to operative position.

' In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the can opener, the cork-screw being partly shifted Figure 2 is aplan view.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the cutting blade. I

F iguree is an enlarged end elevation of the device.

Figure 5 isan enlarged section on line 5-5 Figure 1. r i

Figure 6 is an enlargedsection on line 6-6 Figure 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a strip of sheet metal adapted to be shaped by means of dies so as to provide parallel side flanges 2 forming a longitudinal channel 3 therebetween extending a portion of the length of the strip. The flanges 2 gradually diverge away from the channel and cooperate with one end portion of the strip 1 to provide a grip portion 4 much broader than the channeled portion and preferably slightly curved longitudinally. The preferred. contour of this grip has been illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

That end of the strip 1 remote from the grip 4 is bent to provide a transverse wing 5 lying in a plane perpendicular to the flanges 2. This wing has its transverse edge recessed longitudinally as shown at 6 to provide a fulcrum edge 7 which can be sulficiently sharp to bite into the surface on which it is bearing while the can opener is in use. The projecting portions 8 left at the ends of the edge 7 constitute guide lugs.

To facilitate the formation of the wing 5 it is necessary to provide a slot 9 along theintermediate or crown portion of the channel adjacent the wing. Otherwise it would not be practicable to bend the metal between dies and produce an article having the desired configuration. The formation of the slot allows those port-ions of the flanges adjacent the wing to bulge laterally asshown at 10, thereby to provide arcuate connecting portions between the top edges of the wing 5 and the the flanges 2.

For the purpose of saving the metal removed in the formation of the slot 9 said metal is utilized at a finger 11 which, during the bending of the wing 5 will be parallel portions of brought to upstanding position as shown in Figures 1 and 1. The free end of this finger is offset to form a lug 12 and a reinforcing rib 13 is pressed into this finger andiextends longitudinally thereof from the lug 12 to the bearing or fulcrum edge 18 of the blade and this cutting edge and the lower edge 17 converge to a point 19 as shown. The thickness of the blade is approximately the same as the distance between the fianges 2. Thus when the head 14; is inserted into the channel 3 it will l frictionally engage the two flanges and the straight edge 15 will bear-firmly against the intermediate or *rown portion oi the channel. The blade is held in place by means of one or more rivets 20 extending transversely through the flanges 2. In the drawings a single rivet has been shown, it having been found in practice that where the straight edge 15 bears firmly against the intermediate or crown portion of the channel a single rivet is all that is necessary to hold the blade the-idly against movement relative to the channel. lVhere one rivet is used it is preferred to locate it near: the front edge 16 of head 1 so that the greater portion oi the length oli the straight edge l5 will thrust against its bearing surface when the. cutting blade is (hitting through a can. 1 If desired a cork-screw 2i can be combined with the can opener, there being an eye 22 at one endot the cork-screw pivotallymounted on a rivet 23 secured in the flanges then. the cork-screw is not in use it can be held against the concave face of the grip 4 where it will be kept out of contact with the hand ot the user of the can opener.

In using this device a hole is punched into a can by means 01'? the point 19 of the cutting blade. The blade is then inserted into the hole thus produced and the fulcrum edge 7 caused to rest on the-margin of the can. By pulling upwardly on the grip 4. the inner portion of the edge 18' will cut upwardly through the metal. of the can and as the grip 1S moved downwardly following this operation the blade can be slipped torwardlyso as to be brought to position to make another cut when the grip is swung upwardly. During this action the edge]? bites into the can to prevent the device from slipping.

It will be understood that by reversing the can opener and placing the lug 12 under.

the edge of a bottle cap said cap can be removed readily.

i It will be noted that the cutting blade lies in a plane intersecting and perpendicular to the wing 5 thus during the cutting operation the thrust exerted through the blade is directly toward the wing.

By forming the arcuate bulged portions 10 the necessary clearance is provided above the edge 18 to allow the blade erly through the can.

ll hat is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a single strip of metal bent to provide a grip at one end, a transverse bearing wing at the other end, an intermediate channel, there being a slot in, the intermediate wall of the channel extending up to the wing, those portions oi the channel atthe sides of the slot being lunged laterallyand arched, a cutting Jblade having ahead fitted snugly within the channel with one straight edge bearing throughout the length of the head against the ii'iterinediatef wall of the chan nel, and a fastening meansextending transversely through the channel and head.

2. In a device of the class described, a single strip of metal bent to provide a grip at one end, a transverse bearing wing at the other end, an intermediate channel, there being a slot in the intermediate wallof the channel,extending up 'to the wing, thosev portions oi, the channel at the sides of the slot being bulged laterally and arched, a cutting blade having a head fitted snugly within the channel with one straight; edge bearing throughout the length of the head against the intermediate wallof the channel, and a single fastening rivet extending transversely through the sides of the channel and the head of the blade at-a point removed from the transverse center of the;

blade.

A. device of the class described including a single strip of metal bent to provide a grip at one end, a transverse bearing wing at the other end, and an intermediate channel, there being a longitudinal, slotin the strip between thewing and the channel, a linger at one end-of the. slot and having a} terminal lug, a cutting blade having a head fitted snugly in the channel and a fastening device extending transversely through the channeland head, said blade having a cutting edge projecting past the wing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixecl my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS D. ROBERTS.- 

